Thus, the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based company is now expanding its product test to include Miami; New York City; Atlanta; Washington, D.C./Baltimore; Chicago; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Seattle; San Francisco/Oakland; and Los Angeles.

These markets add to the previous seven markets targeted [image-nocss] by the test. They include original test markets Austin, Texas, and Portland, Ore., along with Raleigh, N.C., Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; and Orlando, Fla., which were added this past July.

"This may have been a little longer than your normal new-product introduction, but, purposefully, we were very deliberate in what we did, primarily because it is a new and different type of tobacco product," Howard said. "So we wanted to take the time to make sure consumers and retail customers had a good understanding of it."

To do that, the company has undertaken several marketing efforts, primarily through point-of-sale advertising, but also through other methods.

"In the metropolitan areas where the product is available, we're communicating with them through direct mail and through consumer interaction at age-restricted venues like bars and nightclubs," he said. "In the Dallas/Fort Worth market, we had some print ads that included a coupon for a free tin of snus. We've also done some promotions where, if you come [into a store] and buy a pack of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. cigarettes, you receive a free tin of snus."